Kneel formation fake play
In last night's Purdue vs Arizona game, the Boilermakers had the ball in their territory with ~1 minute until halftime and a 14-point lead. They lined up in a "safe" formation, typically used for kneeling the ball and running out the clock. They then ran a fake, advancing well into Arizona territory on a play where most of the defense stood still at the snap.
Is this a saavy move by an up-and-coming coach that shows you never stop competing, as the media suggested? Or has he compromised the integrity of a mutual concession to run out the clock? Having seen it, I would have no problem with any DL blowing up Purdue's OL on an actual kneel.
Maybe someone would be kind enough to embed a video for me.
December 28th, 2017 at 9:13 AM ^
It's the same play the Patriots ran in the Superbowl on the last snap of regulation.
December 28th, 2017 at 9:13 AM ^
December 28th, 2017 at 9:15 AM ^
I've always wondered why more teams don't try something like this.
It was a brilliant playcall. Its all about winning and that play helped Purdue win.
Anyone saying it was a "busch league" move, does not know how to win.
December 28th, 2017 at 9:18 AM ^
December 28th, 2017 at 9:20 AM ^
oh my bad
I think your post is bush league.
December 28th, 2017 at 9:40 AM ^
Why? Because he doesn't agree with you? That's a BS response to a valid post exercising conversation - which is what this forum is about. You don't have to agree with it, but you don't need to be an ass about it, either - he wasn't being an ass to you.
December 28th, 2017 at 10:13 AM ^
Because the guy's argument was "It's bush league." It wasn't an argument. It kinda is being an ass....
"What is wrong with this?"
"It's Bush League."
Ummm.... ok.... that's not answering the question.
December 28th, 2017 at 10:17 AM ^
He did explain the bush league part: "...the point of that play is to protect the QB and concede the down..."
Conversation!
December 28th, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^
"bush" league.
And no, this is not a "do something to win" play - it is B.S. Purdue was takinig advantage of the fact that the defense cannot tackle the QB on this play without a personal foul and possible ejection. That is different than a "fake spike" in which the QB can be hit if he takes too long to spike.
Either there should be a rule against this, or it should be ok for a defensive player to come and try to tackle the QB before he gets his knee down. So they would only get flagged if there was more than one step before contacting the QB.
December 28th, 2017 at 1:01 PM ^
Purdue was takinig advantage of the fact that the defense cannot tackle the QB on this play without a personal foul and possible ejection.If the QB is up, he's fair game. You can't hit him after the whistle, but that's true of any play.
December 28th, 2017 at 1:39 PM ^
ok...so in LSA's mind you should be penalized if you don't run the play that it looks like you're going to run. No fake FG's, punts, fake spikes/kneels. Oh and also play action should be disallowed because you're tricking the defense and faking a run oh my! ok...
December 28th, 2017 at 9:21 AM ^
December 28th, 2017 at 12:22 PM ^
in the same way it's brilliant for a quarterback to fake slides.
For the rest of your career players won't pull off when you start to go down, and eventually you'll get blown up. Was it worth it?
Except that here it's Brohm taking risks with his players' safety and not his own.
December 28th, 2017 at 9:16 AM ^
If you're a defense and you have to expect that crap, they're just going to start diving into OL's knees. And that would be completely fair because if you have to expect a football play advancing the ball, they're making a football play trying to stop it.
December 28th, 2017 at 10:36 AM ^
Coaches being creative within the rules is great, but hard to knock a rule change if it's for player safety reasons. I think I'd love it if we did it to sparty or osu but I'd hate it if it happened to us.
December 28th, 2017 at 11:07 AM ^
I kinda hated when MSU blew up our long-snapper at the end of the 2015 game.
Otherwise, I enjoy trickery. Football has its share of 'unwritten rules' - as much as people like to assume it's only baseball that does it.
December 28th, 2017 at 4:55 PM ^
December 28th, 2017 at 1:41 PM ^
holy hell! Diving into the olines knees is NOT a football play! and never, ever, ever has any defense done that except as a last desperation swipe as the ball is snapped or just out of pure frustration at the end of the game.
If any D-lineman were to dive at olines knees on any regular play they would instantly take themselves out of the play and open huge running lanes for the qb/rb!
December 28th, 2017 at 9:17 AM ^
I did not like that play. I kept thinking to myself I hope Arizona gets a chance to make them pay for that by blowing up their QB.
December 28th, 2017 at 9:20 AM ^
It's a shit play. Rich Rod had a postgame video explaining that the refs always tell the defense not to rush on an upcoming kneeldown -- just to respect the game and the play and the like and not make it an issue with rushing. Said they did this here, and Arizona complied as usual --
December 28th, 2017 at 9:39 AM ^
December 28th, 2017 at 10:42 AM ^
Maybe it's more relevant whether Purdue heard the refs interject. Seems unfair to penalize Purdue if they were actually looking to break off a play for yardage that would put them in range to score. If they were told by the refs too, then I agree a flag would be appropriate. Then it'd be Brohm's place to tell the refs to mind their own business and not dictate plays.
December 28th, 2017 at 9:19 AM ^
Defence should be ready on every play!
December 28th, 2017 at 12:54 PM ^
December 28th, 2017 at 9:20 AM ^
I think so also!
December 28th, 2017 at 9:20 AM ^
On a kneel down, the offense is typically expecting the courtesy of the opposing defense not pursuing like it's a real play. The OL get a gentle shove and the back 7 typically stand there. Purdue is more than welcome to pull that play, but now watch them get pissy next time they go for a kneel down and the opposing defense pursues like it's an actual play - or worse, their QB gets lit up.
December 28th, 2017 at 9:21 AM ^
December 28th, 2017 at 9:59 AM ^
Why would there be a roughing the passer if the QB isn't throwing the ball? It would just be a sack or a late hit (if he had already kneeled).
December 28th, 2017 at 10:53 AM ^
That is a goog point!(roughing the passer)
December 28th, 2017 at 11:22 AM ^
Since he isn't throwing the ball, it wouldn't be roughing the passer, but an unsportsmanlike penalty, or possibly targeting.
December 28th, 2017 at 9:21 AM ^
gotta admit that when I was watching last night I thought it was a great call, but after reading ACTUAL FOOTBALL stuff on the blog (YAY) ... I must admit that the ref's should have called purdue for a penalty. Had the defense actually been aggressive, they would have been called for an unsportsmanlike penalty. It was a BS call by purdue's coaches. This needs to be addressed by the NCAA rules committee
Go Blue!
December 28th, 2017 at 9:24 AM ^
You forgot the /s after you stated "NCAA rules committee"
December 28th, 2017 at 9:30 AM ^
December 28th, 2017 at 9:47 AM ^
December 28th, 2017 at 9:46 AM ^
What penalty would have been called? It was a legal play. Whether it falls within the relm of gameship is the proper arena for this discussion, but this idea that some mysterious flag should have come out is absurd.
December 28th, 2017 at 10:38 AM ^
You're a binary thinker, aren't you?
December 28th, 2017 at 11:10 AM ^
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December 28th, 2017 at 9:23 AM ^
I don't have an issue with Purdue running the play. But they also can't complain if a DL submarines their OL anytime they are in a kneeling situation in the future.
December 28th, 2017 at 9:28 AM ^
came here for the "bush league"
left when I found out what you were actually talking about
December 28th, 2017 at 9:28 AM ^
December 28th, 2017 at 9:29 AM ^
December 28th, 2017 at 9:32 AM ^
First, Brohm ran this play last year at Western Kentucky, so opposing teams should probably prepare for it. (They certainly should now).
Second, if teams aren't going to get called on running it, then refs should stop telling defenders to take it easy on kneel downs.
December 28th, 2017 at 9:34 AM ^
December 28th, 2017 at 9:53 AM ^
Yeah, you're totally right, thanks! Brohm says he has always had his teams practice that play, but I guess it's a little harder to blame Rich Rod for not seeing it coming.
December 28th, 2017 at 9:33 AM ^
RR stated the refs told the D to back off, as the always do during a kneel down. You obviously can't have both of those things at once.
This NEEDS to be addressed. Maybe get rid of the "kneel down" or "spike" and just tell the refs "kneel" or "spike".
If you line up to play, be ready to play.
December 28th, 2017 at 12:27 PM ^
...at least with a spike, since the time that runs off during the spike is often critical.
But it wouldn't be that hard to institute an unsportsmanlike penalty for a fake kneeldown.
December 28th, 2017 at 1:45 PM ^
just have someone watch a couple hundred "spikes" and find an average time from the time the ball is placed until the time the ball is spiked. Add it in as a runoff.
-or- don't tell the players to back off.
If the refs are going to be involved they need to do it the right way.
December 28th, 2017 at 1:45 PM ^
just have someone watch a couple hundred "spikes" and find an average time from the time the ball is placed until the time the ball is spiked. Add it in as a runoff.
-or- don't tell the players to back off.
If the refs are going to be involved they need to do it the right way.
December 28th, 2017 at 9:37 AM ^